The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-05-21
ON HIGH LAND.
Why Would Rather Be There
Than Anywhere Else.

We had been engaged, Mark and I, sine,
we were babies, so to say; that is, when HI
was still in knickerbockers, and just ou
OF bibs, we had decided that when we grew
up and had house Of our own, it was to bt
our own, his and mine, and there we wer,
to live together and live alone; and il thu
chief Of our diet there was to be apple-tart.
and butter-scotches, that was our own af
fair. 1t is a Thousand pities that it was abou
that house that oil the rout happened. Fol
the fact is, had the strongest sort of will
and so had Mark; and when it came to the
point, it wasn't that house at all that
wanted.
For you see, the spot where 1 lived, dowr
on the great meadow farms, was my sole
idea Of the beauty and pleasantness of the
world. Across the river, with its high bank
crowned with feathery and always tremb
ling and shining birches, the hills rose, ia,
and faint and purple vague; but here there
were only the long green levels Of grass
fields lying low and even with the river that
filed and sparkled in the reeds along the
edge, and flowed. by us broad and grand on
hts way to the sea. And when the sun shone
and the sky was blue, and the south wind
was softly blowing, one seemed as near
Heaven, living there, as it is given one to be
on earth.
There were quite o number Of dwelling.
houses here, where the corners Of several
OF the great river farms converged, SO that
although their lands stretched out in differ
ent directions, the buildings clustered TO-
gether like q villnge; and we always came
a9a went freely in each others houses, and
knew each others concerns, and were more
like one large family than strangers; and
loved my neighbors every one, and didn't
want to go away from them. And when II
came to the question Of marrying and going
away, was simply determined that
wouldn't go away, but that Mark should
come down to this little garden OF Eden,
where knew every tint OF the ripe grass
on the meadow, every sparkle Of the water,
every fleece Of cloud upon the blue OF
heaven. ',Yt ais .le.
Sand why not, MarkP urged "Here
is this immense farm, q really great prop
erty, and would you leave 1t to take care OF
itself, and we 60 to live two miles away on
your fathers place, that bleak, lonesome
rock up in the air, shut in by o pine forest,
like great fortress-a prison, real dun
geonl" .eif
SIT isn't prison to me-" said Mark. SIT
is the brightest spot in the world-it would
be If you were in it, Man." My real name
is Pamela; but that is the way people always
used me- 81
sand no neighbors therel" exclaimed
s'nobody to run in Of an evening, nobody to
talk to over the garden wall, nobody to
borrow Of, nobody to show your new things
to, nobody IL you're sick. One might as
we'll be buried alive. Ialways thought so."
81 should want nobody but you, Nan, il
we were married and that was our home.
Itwould be simply paradise"
FIt wouldn't be paradise to me without
any water to see. Inever liked the verse
in the Bible about there being no more sea.
Pretty Heaven that, without any sea to look
at! couldn't live without my river. I've
always had it running by, running up or
running down, coming from somewhere,
going to somewhere, life and motion. al
ways look out the first thing in the morning
to see If it's still there, and / listen for it ut
night. And it makes two skies by night
one above and ono below--with stars down
in the underworld; and then by day the
color, the changing light and color and the
pushing OF the tide, taxing you right into
the mysterics, D, it's stagnation without
tho river! I'd as lief be dead" m 5
Sand l think Just as much Of tho pine
woous," he said, with the everlasting mur-
mur OF the boughs, And whom wind be.
gins to blow, long; before we feel it down
below, the tree.tops know II, and are whisp-
ering about it one to another, like old witch
es brewing u Storm gel f
Sand there's nothing but o patch OF
garden thereinN your fathers old place,"I
went on, without needing; ''and here are
these long rich grass lands. And how in
tho world are we Ito manage farm two
miles away from it, should like to known
n KNOW said Mark, easily. Just Us you
do two rods away"
tits impossiDle," said / "You don't